I remember, back when I was training martial arts as a second full time job, my trainer told one of the guys who I was training with: "The problem with you is not your heart. Definitively, you train hard. But you don't train smart". That stayed with me (for some reason) and it very well embodies the spirit of how 2011 went for me. Here's the thing.
I wanted to writer like a motherfucker and get something out to shop this year.
I failed at doing that, because I wasn't smart about it. I focused everything on writing and neglected to work on the other aspects of my life, so I have a little to show in terms of writing this year and next to nothing anywhere else. I'm the only person to blame for this. I held on to the dream for my dear life, instead of building a solid foundation I could build on. Willpower will get to only so far, if you don't have something to stand on. I didn't have a set writing routine, I didn't have my schedule figured out in anything and I let work get to me instead of trying to figure out a way to make it work.
That's the word for 2012.
Strategy.
Yes, I'm a writer. I have published some stories and I have more coming for this winter. Yes, I'm an artist. I have a capacity to perceive emotion like others have a bad habit. Now that it's out of the way, I have things to remember. Writing is a hobby and if I don't take care of my life the way I should, I will always stay a very painful, haunting hobby. While it's not supposed to be comfortable, it's still supposed to be fun, right? I have started writing something that could potentially be a novel this month, so it's my responsibility to nurture it and bring it to existence. I have two short stories I have to get out before, so I'll get them out of the way and concentrate on this yet unnamed project.
Also, I wanted to announce something for the blog. As from January 2nd (my first blogging day in 2012), Dead End Follies will only have one content post a day. That means a review or an editorial, anything that requires a long typing session from me. Guest posts, videos or promotional posts (for my writing or for someone else's) will still happen, but it means that some days (well, most days...really), there will be only one post up. It will lower my post count from almost 700 to 300-400.
I find that the quality is sometimes dragging with all that posting I do. Especially in the most personal posts, but sometimes in the review too. Having one post a day will allow me to build a queue of things I want to talk about and keep my writing focused and relevant. Hopefully it will allow me to experience outside of the structures I've set for myself also (I.E. the four paragraphs review). It will also make sure that the post you're reading on that day will be worth your attention and it will free some more time for me to think about fiction. I over-indulged in Dead End Follies for the last two years and built myself an audience, but now it's time to think about YOU guys and raise the bar for content in both fiction and non-fiction.
2012 is only three days away and I'm walking into it with my Forrest Gump-ish attitude towards work, a burning passion for what I do and a desire to make it work. To make everything work. See you in 2012, dear readers with a more focused and fuel-efficient Dead End Follies and hopefully many stories to tell.
Ben